The present invention relates to mobile communication devices, and, more particularly, to methods, electronic devices, and computer program products for providing Bluetooth and Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) functionality in a single device.
Wireless networking and mobile terminals have revolutionized the way in which information can be delivered. Unfortunately, two popular wireless standards—IEEE 802.11b/g WLAN and Bluetooth-use the same 2.4 GHz frequency band. When WLAN and Bluetooth transceivers are co-located in the same device, then a common receiver/amplifier may saturate and the receiver may become desensitized. Moreover, intense bandwidth utilization when both WLAN and Bluetooth transceivers are in use simultaneously may interfere with operation of the respective error correction functions associated with the two standards. Nevertheless, it may still be desirable to provide both WLAN and Bluetooth functionality in a single device. One reason for this is that WLAN and Bluetooth have been designed for different applications. Bluetooth devices are typically used as a wireless headset, to move a data file to a Bluetooth-enabled device, e.g., a printer, and to exchange/synchronize data with a personal computer. WLAN devices, however, are often used in personal or corporate networks and/or as a connection to the Internet at hot spots, such as restaurants, hotel lobbies, and/or airports.
To allow devices to provide both WLAN and Bluetooth functionality, various Medium Access Control (MAC) protocols have been developed to avoid simultaneous transmission. One such protocol, known as Packet Traffic Arbitration (PTA), uses a time division approach for dividing access to the communication medium between the WLAN and Bluetooth transceivers. The PTA protocol, however, provides for a priority setting for Bluetooth traffic that, when enabled, will cause any WLAN communication that is in progress to be interrupted. This may result in wasted bandwidth, increased collision rates, and/or reduced WLAN network capacity.